*‘Places in Processes’: Places as temporary stabilities in dynamic
knowledge generating processes*
*Organizers: *
Suntje Schmidt – Leibniz-Institute for Regional Development and
Structural Planning
Anna Growe – Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg Institut für
Umweltsozialwissenschaften und Geographie
Structural changes towards knowledge- and innovation-driven economies
did not just fun-damentally transform economic processes and actor
constellations thereof. Also a re-interpretation and conversion of
places in working processes and routines can be observed. Processes of
knowledge generation and sharing can be understood as shifting
dynamically between phases of intensive collaboration and self-focused
isolation. The complex interplay of buzz and retreat and the permanent
reshuffling of actors that typically go far beyond the boundaries of
single firms, however, pose the question of how institutional,
organizational and material stability can be provided in the face of
continuous transience. The geographic notion of “place” highlights
specific qualities that distinguish one spatial context from others and
thus the main idea of this session is to better understand the complex
interplay between stability and transience in knowledge work to discuss
some fresh conceptual grips on places in processes.
Geographers so far have produced an extensive and rich body of work on
theorizing places as contexts for situated knowledge generation.
However, these works have rarely focused on the interplay between
stability and the procedural character of knowledge work. Also, the
dynamic aspects of knowledge work and knowledge generation as evolving
through space and time have been discussed only very recently in
economic geography. If people, ideas, and artefacts are considered to be
mobile, then places can be theorized as being sta-tions for these mobile
entities to pass through and to interact with another in temporary
physical co-presence. Hence, specific places can be understood as stable
locations and as long-term focal points within highly dynamic,
globalized, collaborative knowledge generating processes. This research
perspective suggests a re-interpretation of existing locations (e.g.
face to face knowledge generation in addition to logistical functions of
airports) and their meaning (e.g. cultural and creative work in former
coal mining facilities) or even the possibil-ity of creating completely
new types of permanent places for transient collaborative work in
volatile labor markets (e.g. FabLabs or Coworking Spaces).
This session invites conceptual, empirical and methodological papers
addressing places and their role in knowledge generating processes.
Papers might address, but are not limited to:
Conceptual questions:
• How to relate phases of knowledge generating processes and places?
• Which concepts combine permanent aspects of places with time-spatial
approaches of knowledge generation?
• What functions are fulfilled by permanent places in temporary work
arrangements?
Methodological questions:
• How to study places with a procedural perspective?
• How to relate temporary practices utilized in specific places with
working routines?
• How to capture the fluid use of places in boundaryless working
environments?
Empirical questions:
• What different types of places are relevant for knowledge work?
• How are these places used?
• What is the value of temporary uses of a specific place? What kind of
knowledge is generated? What are strategic aspects of using a certain
place?
We invite interested scholars to submit an abstract of 250 words (see
AAG guidelineshttp://www.aag.org/cs/annualmeeting/call_for_papers)
until 17 October 2014.
Abstracts can be send to both organizers:
Suntje Schmidt:[log in to unmask]
Anna Growe:[log in to unmask]
--
Mit freundlichem Gruß
Dr. Anna Growe
Institut für Umweltsozialwissenschaften und Geographie
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität
Werthmannstraße 4
79085 Freiburg i. Br.
Telefon: +49 (0)761 203-97874
Telefax: +49 (0)761 203-3575
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
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